Argument
by EmilyHalpert
Summary: A PAL Split


"Leo, this won't work. You are never home. Melinda needs you. Tessa needs you. I need you!" I scream, stressing the last sentence. "When Melinda was born, they promised you more free time, but that never happened. When Tessa was born, you got more charges! Melinda wakes up crying in the night for you, but what can I tell her? She doesn't understand where her daddy is!"  
  
"Piper. I am sorry, you know I am here as much as I can be. I will ask them for more time, just please don't do this." Leo pleads.  
  
"No. Leo." I say, fighting against the tears. I hold the door open. Leo walked out the door. The love of my life walked out of the door, out of my life.  
  
I shut the door, sliding to the ground, crying. "Why did I do that?" "Its best for everyone," "What will I tell them?" repeated over and over in my head.  
  
"Mommy? Where did Daddy go?" a quiet voice asks, scared.  
  
"Oh, Melinda, he had to leave."  
  
"Why are you crying mommy? He's coming back, isn't he?"  
  
"I don't know, Melly. I just don't know," I pull her in close, hugging her, not wanting to lose her also.  
  
"Don't be sad, Mommy," she whispers in my ear. When did she become the adult, and I the child?  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The door closes behind me. Here I am, standing on the stoop, less than one foot from my wife, and I have never felt further away. How could she do that? How could I let that happen?  
  
I turn, looking back at the door. How much I wanted to go back, knock, and promise it would all be okay. What would I give to hold Piper in my arms again? To Tickle Melinda? To watch Tessa sleep quietly in her crib, her chest gently rising and falling with every breath? I would never get the chance to do that again.  
  
I turn, and walk slowly, dejectedly, down to the street. I walk along the sidewalk, unsure of where to go.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Melinda! Hurry up! We have to leave soon!" I shout upstairs. I was rushing around, trying to calm Tessa's screams, make breakfast for the girls, and gather Melinda's items for school. I never realized how much I depended on Leo when he was here. I push that thought out of my mind, which was easy, since the microwave started buzzing, adding another loud sound to the morning.  
  
"Melind-da!" I shout, stopping when I saw her running into the kitchen. I hand her the still steaming bowl of oatmeal, and turned my attention on Tessa.  
  
"Come on Tessa. Call down, Angel." I plead with her, gently rocking her  
  
*Honk!*  
  
"Mommy! My car pool is here!" Melinda said, grabbing her backpack and running out the door.  
  
In the few weeks since Leo left, Melinda was acting more and more like sixteen instead of six.  
  
Tessa's shouts soon died down to a whimper, and I look around the house. Toys, clothes, and dirt were everywhere. I could barely manage the kinds, let alone the house.  
  
I place Tessa in her playpen, vowing to clean the house through my exhaustion.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I walk idly around my room "up there." It had been exactly 3 weeks, 4 days, 15 minutes and 28 seconds since Piper had kicked me out. Not that I was counting or anything. I couldn't orb down to another client; most were not as happy as Piper had been about me hanging around.  
  
Ironic that now that I didn't have a wife or kids, the Elders were giving me plenty of time off. I had begged them for another client, but they had refused.  
  
"Leo!" I heard someone call. I orb down, grateful for the break. It was Katie, a new witch.  
  
"What?" I ask, sound more annoyed than I really was.  
  
Katie explained the most recent warlock attack. I told her how she could vanquish him, and then orbed back up there, for the same monotonous routine.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Phoebe? You want to come over? Sure you can bring Patrick. Okay, I will see you in a few." I hang up the phone. I had called Phoebe because I needed some sisterly advice. Life was falling apart. I was always tired. Food was limited, and I feared I wasn't being a good mother.  
  
*Ding Dong*  
  
"I'll get it!" Melinda yelled. I could hear her running to the door. "Hi Aunt Phoebe! Mommy is in the kitchen. Patrick, want to come see what I got?"  
  
Melinda and Patrick run upstairs. "Pip, you okay?" Phoebe asks, walking in.  
  
"What did I do? I can't handle this. Melinda is acting like the adult, and I am the child. I am being a horrible mother!" I cry, tears already rolling down my face.  
  
Phoebe walks over, and pulls a chair next to mine. "Piper, you are a great mother. Its just a little rough at first." Phoebe gives me a hug. "It will be okay, I promise. You will make it work, I know you."  
  
"What should I do? What if I ruin Melly's or Tess's life? I couldn't bear to live!"  
  
"It won't happen. Here." Phoebe says, handing me a box of tissues.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I pace outside my house. "No, no, Piper's house," I correct myself. Phoebe had just gone in. I had orbed down, meaning to go talk to Piper. But, I was too afraid, and then Phoebe had shown up. "I'll go once Phoebe leaves," I promise myself.  
  
I walk around the block quite a few times. After about thirty minutes, I pass by…Piper's house, and Phoebe's car wasn't there. "Okay, Leo, you can do this." I say to myself. I walk up to the door. I have an urge to run back down to the street, but I force myself to ring the doorbell  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
*Ding Dong*  
  
'Who could that be?" I wonder out loud. Phoebe had just left, and I wasn't expecting anyone. I put Tessa in her highchair and start walking to the door.  
  
Melinda got there first. "Daddy!" she shouts delightfully.  
  
I froze. What was he doing here?  
  
Leo stepped inside. "Hi." He said. He picked up Melinda and hugged her.  
  
"Melly, how bout if you go play upstairs?" I say, it being more of a command then a question.  
  
She looks at her father, unwilling to let him go. "Go on sweetie," he urged.  
  
I lead Leo into the kitchen. "What are you doing here?"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I glance around. The house was messier, but not too bad. "I…well… I missed you."  
  
She doesn't say anything for a while.  
  
"I have missed you so much. I love you. I love Melinda, I love Tessa." I say, kissing Tessa on top of her head. "I can't stand not having you in my life. I don't care what it takes. I will clip my wings, if that will allow you to be in my life."  
  
Finally, she says something. "No, don't clip your wings," and then she sits down at the table.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I knew I couldn't ask him to clip his wings, but that was about all I knew. I was too confused about the rest.  
  
"I…I missed you too." I finally manage to get out. "I can't stand your not being here." The rest come pouring out, about how much I missed him, and about how awful life was without him there.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"Can I stay?" I ask, hopeful.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
I lean over. "Yes," and then I kiss him. It was amazing. I had missed him so much, and all our love was in that kiss.  
  
"Yes!" I heard Melinda say. I break off the kiss, and turn to the door. There was Melinda, grinning and giggling in the doorway. "Come here you booger." I call to her.  
  
She runs over, and jumps into Leo's lap. I pick up Tessa and say, "We are finally a family again." 


End file.
